Rebuild
by isaidlegs
Summary: AU FIC. Castle and Beckett were childhood best friends but growing up made them grow apart and now Kate is the most popular girl in high school and Rick is well...the writer boy. But is a tragic event the catalyst for them rebuilding trust as friends and perhaps something more?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi, everyone! This is my first Castle fic so, I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don not own Castle or any of it's characters.**

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It was another normal day of high school for Richard Castle. The humid hallways, the crowded classrooms had all become a rather comfortable part of his life, especially the media room, where he could sit for hours on end editing the schools newspaper. He had know from a young age that writing was more than a hobby for him, it was his future and he could confidentially say that he was damn good at it, although it didn't exactly make him the most popular guys at school. Not that he cared anyway, he had Alexis, his best friend who he practically saw as his sister.

Rick was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of his phone. "crap" he cursed to himself when he saw Alexis' name flash up on the screen, he was late to meet her for their study period and she wasn't the type of person you stood up. He quickly gathered his things, making sure he saved his work and made a beeline for the door, bracing himself to head into the sea of people he could hear getting there books for next period.

As soon as he entered the hallway, he was overwhelmed by the rush of people trying to get to the next destination but he was used to it, this was life. He had just about reached the library doors when he was pushed from behind, the force of which made him drop his books.

"Move, writer boy!" huffed an all too familiar voice which was confirmed when he turned around with a glare. It was Kate Beckett, one of the most popular girls in school. With her long flowing hair and legs that went on for miles, every girl wanted to either be her or be her friend. Along side her was her boyfriend, Tom Demming, who gave Rick a dark smirk amused by the actions of his girlfriend. Demming , was the schools top lacrosse player, earning him the label of 'popular'. Rick had never liked him however, he could never put his finger on an exact reason. Yeah, he was a giant ass but that wasn't it.

Deciding that he was too exhausted to get in a fight with them, he moved to the side and let them past, trailing behind them with heavy movements. He just needed this day to be over. As he pushed open the heavy library doors, he caught side of Alexis' bright read hair and headed directly for her table, placing himself down with a sigh.

"What's up with you?" Alexis asked him straight out. That's who she was, direct, ruthless and extremely protective over her best friend. She had an idea of who had got him down when she heard Kate giggle far too loudly on the other side of the room. She always had a way of getting to him, which got to her.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." he huffed but he could see the concern darkening her eyes but he knew she wouldn't push him for answers. "We have a history quiz tomorrow. Study." he said while taking out his textbook, his way of cementing the no questions vibe he'd already put out there. He heard Alexis sigh, taking out her textbook but he ignored it as he tried to concentrate on the chapter about World War 2 but he couldn't concentrate as his mind drifted to thoughts of what seemed like another life.

* * *

 _"Hey! Stop splashing me!" squealed an 8 year old Kate Beckett as she ran away from a same aged, Richard Castle who was chasing her round her garden with a water pistol. It was a very hot day in the middle of August and Johanna, Kate's mother, had allowed them to play outside to relieve them from the uncomfortable humidity._

 _"KATE! RICHARD! I brought you some lemonade" they both looked at one another with excitement, sprinting over to Kate's mom, nudging eachother as they made their way. When they reached their much needed hydration, Rick placed his water pistol on the ground next to them so he could hold his cup with both hands. He looked over to his house, silently thanking the fact he lived next door to his best friend. When he turned his attention back to Kate, he noticed Johanna watching them with a small smile which made him feel a little embarrassed._

 _After placing his empty cup back on the tray Johanna was holding, he bent down to pick up his water pistol but before he could he was knocked to the ground by a giggling Kate who was now triumphantly pointing the foam pistol at him "It's on Castle!" Kate smirked at him as he quickly tried to run away before she could hit him with the cold water. But as usual, he was too slow for her cat like movements as he felt a rush of cold water hit his back, turning around to see both Kate and her mom giggling at his state of shock. That made him blush causing them to giggle even more. Great._

 _However, he took their distraction as an opportunity to hide behind a tree but before Kate could run after him, she turned to talk to her mother. He watched them quietly, noticing how both their faces brightened up when with one another. He had always knew they had a close relationship, even at his young age. Kate was happier around her, more carefree and that made him happy. He considered Kate for a moment taking in her laugh which he'd thought was pretty but he DID NOT have a crush on her, no matter how much his own mother teased him for it. Kate was his best friend and having crushes was 'icky'._

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Rick caught himself smiling at the memory, mentally kicking himself for missing her. She wasn't the same, she had grown up and left him behind gaining a new attitude and new friends. However, he still admired her relationship with his mother, he occasionally saw them together as their families were still friend which was equally uncomfortable for both Kate and himself but her face still lit up the same way it did when she was 8. Her mother brought out something nobody else could in her and he thought that was pretty great.

However, his daydream was interrupted by the sound of sprinting and the library doors slamming open and closed again. When he looked up he noticed everyone else had turned their attention to the door as well, sharing his look of confusing. "Who was that?" he asked Alexis turning to face her.

"Kate. She answered her phone and then made a break for it. Dunno why." she replied with a hint of concern. Rick felt a knot form in his stomach looking over to where she was sitting to see Demming, sitting there looking equally confused. Rick, himself wasn't sure why he felt concern towards her, they weren't friends, she was awful towards him whenever she got the chance but there was something about it that didn't feel right. Regardless, he tried to put the feeling to the back of his mind as he turned to look at his watch seeing that there was only 5 minutes of the day left.

"Lex, i'm going to head home now so i can help mother run some lines. See you tomorrow." he told her as he gathered his things and headed to the door. It was only a 10 minute walk home and he had some things to think about. He also wanted to check on Kate but he knew that she wouldn't appreciate his presence.

On his walk home, he saw a few police cars pass him by. Must have been a robbery in the city, he reassured himself but that anxious feeling was still with him. As he got closer to his house, he saw that the police vehicles were parked on Kate's drive. Something was't right so he jogged the rest of the distance to his house.

When he opened his door he found his mother, Martha, sitting anxiously on their staircase. Her fire red hair and eccentric clothing style made her your typical Broadway actress but there was something about her posture that made her look smaller, a ghost of her personality almost. As soon as she saw Rick in the door way she collided into him giving him an extremely tight embrace. "Oh, Richard! Thank god you're home. I can't believe it..."

"Mother, what are you talking about? Why is Kate's driveway filled with NYPD officers?" his mother's eyes darkened, filling up with sympathy as he said this which confused him even more.

"Oh my, you haven't heard" Rick shook his head, growing more and more impatient. "Darling, Johanna is dead. She was murdered." the older woman flung herself into him once again, quietly crying. Her best friend was dead. Rick's stomach dropped. Johanna was dead, she was gone. His thoughts instantly went to Kate. Her mother, the only person that could make her genuinely smile was gone. He knew that she wouldn't be able to handle it and that scared him. He felt a warm tear slip down his face as he comforted his mother.

One thought on loop in his mind. Kate was never going to be okay again.

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 **Remember to leave your opinions and let me know if you want me to continue this story!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, everyone! I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all you incredible reviews and just the general reception the first chapter got. It was extremely overwhelming but so so appreciated.**

 **I also wanted to take this opportunity to clear some things up:**

 **They are 17 years old.**

 **I will be doing both Rick and Kate's POV in some chapters but it will be clearly indicated.**

 **Most characters from the show will be present in the story in one way or another.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or it's characters. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting on the internet.**

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 **RICK'S POV**

It had been 2 days since the death of Johanna Beckett and the entire neighborhood had been abuzz with sad whispers. Nobody knew exactly how she had died but everyone seemed to move slower, talk quieter and there was a very present, united feeling of grief and sympathy felt towards the Beckett family. Today was her funeral and Rick and his mother were rushing around their large, Victorian style house in an attempt to get ready early enough to help Jim, Kate's father and Johanna's husband, welcome guests. He was struggling, Rick could tell. When he had seen him in passing his eyes had grown sadder and his face looked sunken, this worried him due to the fact he knew how much Jim and Kate depended on Johanna...what was going to happen to them now?

With a heavy sigh, Rick, taking one last glance in the mirror and making sure his suit was up to standard trailed out of his room and forced himself downstairs to leave with his mother. He grew anxious at thought of seeing Kate, he didn't know how she would react to being around him all day, i mean if she couldn't stand him on a regular day of school then this would be hell but he'd take it with a grain of salt because she was hurting...she'd never stop hurting.

"Mother? Are you ready?" he said quietly as if his voice could shatter her into pieces. She had taken Johanna's death hard, they had been each other's rocks for over 20 years but for some reason his mother felt guilty for being as sad as she was and no matter how many times he had tried to tell her that the hurt she was feeling was complete justifiable, she had lost her best friend. However, she would reply in one of the most broken tones he'd ever heard "Richard, they have lost a mother and a wife. What i'm feeling will never come close to that."

"Are you ready, Kiddo?" she asked with a broken smile, shrugging on her favourite coat. It was lined with faux fur and when he was younger, rick would always cover himself with it and pretend her was a wolf...he did that with Kate.

 _"RAWRRRR!" screamed Rick who was wrapped in a black faux fur coat trying to catch his 'pray', Kate. This was one of their favourite games 'The lion and the gazel'. Don't ask how they'd come up with it , Rick had gotten the idea one day while being dragged round on one of Martha's long shopping trips, suggested it to Kate and the rest was a history of bruised knees and disagreements on who would be the lion or the pray. He was currently hiding round a corner, waiting for Kate to come down the hallway so he could scare her and finally win the game. Her footsteps were fast but very very loud giving away her distance and in 3...2...1 "GOT YOU" shouted Rick as he hurled himself onto the small girl,tickling her and laughing as she tried to tickle him back. After a short while, the laughter died down and there was just silence, a comfortable one, but silence non the less as Rick stared at Kate, staring back at him._

 _"I'm really happy you're my best friend" Kate said softly. This made Rick smile, NOT in the crush way but in the 'hey, this is my best friend and i will always protect them' way and even at 8 years old, Rick knew that was special. "Always, you loser now let's go get a snack before we switch roles." he replied with a grin pulling Kate to her feet._ _They had a good system, she was the serious, level headed one and he was the one that came up with crazy stories and fun games. They were polar-opposites and that's why they worked so well. At least that's what his mother had told him one day, he didn't really understand but he liked the idea of what that meant._

A wave of sadness hit him with the memory of what he claims as pure, unadulterated happiness "Richard? Are you okay?" he barely heard his mother ask through his haze of thought. "uh yes, sorry. I was just remembering something" he gave back with a small smile. Rick walked ahead and opened there door, watching his mother walk out and with one last look at the interior of his home, he sighed and locked the door. He could get through the day...couldn't he? He could be there for Kate without having to _be_ there, he could.

Today was going to be hard for everyone.

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 **KATE'S POV**

For the second morning in a row, Kate had been woken up by a sharp throbbing in her head. Wincing as she opened her eyes, bringing both hands to her temples and rubbing tiny little circles either side...not that it would help. The night before was hazy but from what she could remember, it consisted of a bottle of her father's bourbon and a handful of aspirin. She just wanted to forget, and she would...until she was forced to wake up and come face to face with the reality that another day was going to pass and her mother was still gone and she was angry. She was angry that her mother was gone, she was angry that her father had barely spoken 3 words to her and she'd had to cry herself to sleep alone ever since that day. She was completely and utterly alone. With a heavy heart she glanced at the clock, sighing at the time. It was 9am, she had an hour to get ready for her mom's funeral but she just wanted to lie there so she could be forgotten, she wanted to disappear, why did anything matter? Her mom was gone and she was never coming back. Kate hadn't noticed the warm tears that had started to travel down her face and the alteration of her breaths. They were becoming shorter and quicker, she hated this, the feeling before the sobbing began but it was too late and before she knew it, in the most pathetic voice she had ever heard herself make, she whispered "I miss you, mommy"

Kate had gotten dressed and was looking at her reflection in the large mirror that lived in the corner of her room. Her dress was pretty with lace sleeves and fitted her small frame well. She gave a small, sad laugh at the fact the word 'pretty' even came into her mind. The bags under her eyes were dark, fighting through the concealer and she had already started to loose weight on her face. Her thoughts were interrupted by a small knock on her door and turned around to see her dad standing in the doorway. They stared at each silently for a few moments, as if they were trying to test each other but they didn't know what for. After a few moments of this, Kate decided that she would make the first move, running into her father, holding him close to her as if she was terrified that he would slip away. She felt him hold her tighter as her tears started to soak into his nice, black suit. A suit her mother had once picked out for him, she would've loved to see him in it. Kate gave a small smile at the thought, pulling back to look her father in the eyes.

"Katie, I know today is going to be hard and i'm sorry I haven't been here for you in the past few days but that's going to change. We are going to get through this, me and you." her father whispered, almost as if he was trying to convince himself that what he said was true. Kate didn't, there was a hollow feeling in her heart that she knew she would never be able to get rid of but she couldn't tell him that. She was meant to be strong and so she nodded silently in agreement. "I love you, Daddy-" she told him looking back up at his eyes so he knew that what she was saying was true, catching a glimpse of the clock as she did "but we have to leave. It's time to say goodbye."

They moved slowly out of her room and out of the house in an almost trance-like state. She felt numb, not even flinching when the cold air hit her face. She didn't bother with a jacket, she didn't care about getting a cold. Today wasn't about her, it was about her mom and she refused to feel guilty about caring for herself. The car journey was quiet, neither one saying a word, just sitting in silence taking in what was about to happen. It was surreal and unpleasant as if something was sitting on her chest making it difficult to breathe. They eventually arrived at the cemetery and when they did, Kate saw two familiar faces. Martha and Rick Castle. She sighed internally, Martha was a lovely woman who had always cared for Kate even after her friendship with Rick had ended and she was grateful for that but there was still Rick...writer boy. They had grown apart and to be honest she wasn't really sure why but it had happened and now he was here, at her mother's funeral and a part of her wished that she hadn't fucked everything up because having an actual friend right now sounded amazing right now but he infuriated her and she didn't need that today, she wouldn't be weak.

As she got out the car, she saw the two figures walking towards them at a rather fast pace compared to hers, anyway and was suddenly engulfed in a hug from Martha that she accepted without really thinking. Everything about her movements were robotic just like the small smile she gave Martha as they pulled away but suddenly she turned to face Rick who was looking at her with so much sympathy, it made her want to punch him. Instead she went with a nod and walked off, she saw the hurt in his eyes but decided to herself that she didn't care. Today wasn't about other people's feelings. It was about one thing only.

They had spent a good 30 minutes welcoming people with their fake smiles and acceptance of their sympathy. Kate didn't want their sympathy, she didn't need anything from anyone, anymore but today wasn't one for showing it. 50 people attended her mothers funeral, 50 people are what showed her worth and that made Kate angrier. All that was going round in her mind was "my mom is more than 50 people", she was trying her hardest to keep the tears back but her eyes had started to sting and she kept catching Rick staring at her, every stare returned with a angry glare. This was all getting too much but the service had started, she couldn't bail. She'd regret not being here, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the movements of her father who was walking forward and placed a single red rose on the casket, a simple yet beautiful symbol of the love the family had shared. She was up next, her legs shaking as she picked up her rose and walked forward, completely focused on not letting her legs give way and breaking down in front of everyone. She had to be strong and she was, she placed the rose on the casket and stopped for a moment, taking in the reality of what she was doing and with that, she let go as the tears silently fell down her face onto the rose, whispering in a barely audible voice "Goodbye, mommy. I love you."

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 **Rick's POV**

Rick's heart sank as he watched Kate place the rose on her mother's casket, her body silently shaking. His eyes started stinging with tears and his mind filled with thoughts of anger. How could this happen? Who would do this? It wasn't fair to Kate or her father but the world wasn't fair sometimes and from what he had heard, the police hadn't gotten far in respects to finding suspects or witnesses. World-1, inhabitants-0. He zoned out for the rest of the service, consumed with thoughts of the past and the future which made time go faster and before he knew it, the casket had been lowered into the ground and Johanna was gone. His stomach dropped as he looked over at Kate and saw a blank slate, no tears, nothing and he couldn't help but be worried by that...he shouldn't be worried, she made it obvious she didn't need nor want his sympathy but he wasn't like that. He was going to be on standby in case, by some miracle, she confided in him. Rick mentally kicked himself for being so kind and patient, he was just going to get hurt but for some reason she seemed worth it.

The worry followed him all the way back to Kate's house where her father was holding a reception. He had wanted to go straight home, knowing Kate wouldn't want him there but his mother had needed him so he stayed. It was a nice reception, everyone gathered round the house, sharing stories about Johanna, he even saw Jim break a smile at one point but one person he hadn't seen at all was Kate. He had noticed that Jim had started looking around for her, checking upstairs in her room which also seemed to be empty. Rick's feet started moving before his brain could stop him and he found himself face-to-face with Jim. "Would you like me to look for Kate? You should really just be relaxing right now." he offered gingerly, not wanting to offend the older man.

Jim thought for a few moments, toying with the idea of escaping or putting on a brave face and sticking around. Eventually his brain won over his heart, Rick could tell by the way his eyes darkened. "Yes, Rick. That would be very helpful of you. Whatever state you find her in...bring her home."he said defeated, placing a kind hand on Rick's shoulder and giving him a nod, walking off into the gaggle of people.

Due to the fact Jim had looked in the house for Kate with no luck, Rick decided to head out into their garden. It was quite big and you could hide yourself away if you didn't want to be seen. The perfect place for Kate. "Kate!" he shouted, he had been doing this for the past 5 minutes with no response so decided to wander into the shadowed area of the garden. While doing so, something caught his eye. It was the large tree they used to hide behind as kids and curled up underneath was what seemed to be a figure.

As he got closure, he made out Kate's long brown hair that was now splayed out around her in knots. She was curled up with a bottle of whisky, obviously passed out. Rick could barely make out the mascara that was now own her cheeks indicating hat she had been crying. His heart sank for her, all his memories of her being happy and carefree made this even harder. She looked so small and helpless and the fact she was alone left him with a feeling of hopelessness and the thought that maybe he could be there for her? That was a long shot. As soon as Rick started to feel the chill of the late night sky, he scooped Kate up in his arms, making his way back to the house abandoning the now empty, whisky bottle. He had almost reached the door when he felt Kate stir, he went to look down but was shocked when he saw her large eyes starting at him Still clouded with sleep, she whispered "Cast-le?" reaching up to touch his cheek as if she was checking he was real. He gave her a small smile and replied "I'm here." and he was, but he knew that when she woke up in the morning, nothing would have changed and that broke his heart a little bit more.

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 **Sooo, there's chapter 2!**

 **Please leave reviews/opinions as i truly appreciate every single one!**

 **I'm building some stuff up at the minute and so next chapter will be introducing some familiar faces into the mixture so I hope you'll all enjoy that :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **P.S: If anyone would like to make a cover for this story then i'd truly appreciate it as i'm just as bad as ABC when it comes to photoshop lmao**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys!**

 **I got a few comments on my last chapter about how people didn't like Kate and that they didn't feel anything towards here and I'm so happy you're all sharing your genuine opinions with me but here's the thing. I don't want you to like Kate, just yet. She isn't a good person at the minute and I'm happy that I'm able to convey that through how I am writing the character. I also want to remind you that these characters are 17 years old, during this time of your life you drift apart from friends, sometimes for no reason but I promise you there is a reason for the destruction of C/B's friendship but you'll just have to wait ;)**

 **ALSO, keep in mind that this is an AU therefore the personalities of the characters won't be the same as they are in the show at this moment in the story.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

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 **KATE'S POV**

 _Kate's fast feet slapped against the hard, snowy concrete of a New York City alley as she fled from the shadowy figure gaining on her. Her breathing was shallow and she knew she couldn't keep running, fear swallowing her entire body as she realised what was about to happen as her legs slowly froze and she fell to the ground, the only warmth coming from the tears rolling down her cheeks. Although her mind was moving fast, she was able to hear a pair of footsteps getting closer and closer to her as the figure came to stand over her now, shivering body. She still couldn't make out the figures' face which lit a fire of fury inside her but she was unable to move, scream...she was paralyzed. She watched with helpless eyes as the figure rose their arm, meeting her gaze with the barrel of a gun and before Kate could even make an attempt to scream there was a bang and then there was darkness._

Kate shot up, hair sticking to her face with sweat as she frantically checked her body for blood or any marks. It had been almost a week since her moms funeral and this has been one of the dreams that kindly visited her while she slept resulting in no sleep at all. It had been beginning to take it's toll on her face, leaving her with bags that even her concealer was struggling to cover. She'd have to solve that, she didn't need people having 'concern' for her. Although it had almost been a week, the days had seemed to roll into one, never ending nightmare with her dad having to go back into the office, she was left alone with her thoughts and occasionally Tom, her boyfriend, but he just got on her nerves after a couple of hours which would end in a huge fight that honestly, she couldn't be bothered with and didn't have the energy to fight. "Stop thinking" she told herself as she rolled her clammy body over to look at the time, it was 6am, she was awake at 6am on a goddamn Saturday. Although she could hear he dad moving around the kitchen, she didn't want to see him, she hadn't prepared herself for another day of putting on a smile and pretending everything was okay. She did, however, need a shower as her entire body felt disgusting so with a push she managed to get herself out of bed and walked into the bathroom, wincing at her reflection as she brushed her teeth. She'd really need to invest in some high end make up to solve this problem, she thought, making a mental note. She really did want to get some normality back into her life but there was something stopping her, a darkness, that got heavier with every nightmare that held her back. She shook the thought off, turning on the shower and slipping in letting her body relax.

Kate had accidentally spent longer than anticipated in the shower and when she got out, noticed the house was silent indicating that her father had gone. She sighed with relief at the thought she wouldn't have to put on a smile, it was easier to spend the day alone. She braided her long, wet hair and got dressed, slipping on a pair of black skinny jeans and a burgundy sweater. She moved out her jeans as she looked in the mirror, they had become looser but not so much that it was noticeable, she had time. Her thoughts were interrupted by four loud knocks on the door, she was confused as her dad would have left a note saying someone was stopping by and she hadn't invited anyone over. Kate thought about ignoring it and pretending she was home but there were another 4 knocks and she was curious. Making her way out of her room, she padded down the stairs and moved slowly towards the door. For some weird reason she started to get anxious, thoughts of the shadowed person from her nightmares clouding her thoughts. She shook the feeling off, internally telling herself that she was ridiculous as she forced herself to turn the lock and open the door. Regret hit her like a wave as soon as she saw the person standing on the other side, it was her boyfriend and she was still pissed off from the last time he was here and had gotten mad about not being invited to her mom's funeral. They were both kinda out of it but she remembers slapping him and she remembers not being sorry. Here's the thing about their relationship, it had started off great. He made her so so happy but after time, they had started becoming destructive and the only time they'd ever get along was either when they were drunk or high. Kate couldn't bring herself to break up with him though, she could tell much he needed her, how much he loved her and she felt guilty for not feeling the same way. The least she could do was wait for a few more days and blame grief right?

"What do you want?" Kate asked coldly, watching him anxiously search her eyes for some sort of feeling. She knew he was worried about her and she appreciated it, she really did but the walls she had built were way to high to let him in and she was sorry for that...he deserved someone better. "I wanted to check on you. I-uh-brought some vodka and um, Ryan hooked me up with some of these"he said hopefully as he anxiously held up a small bag of white pills. Kate contemplated him for a minute, taking in the items in his hands, she wanted to say no, to have a day she remembered fully but she wasn't strong enough as she pulled him past the threshold by his shirt, kissing him with all the effort she could muster. Kate led him to the kitchen, getting to plastic tumblers and blanket, it was cold outside and was probably going to get colder. It was for him more than herself, she thought to herself. They walked through the wet grass until they came to the large tree that Kate had passed out under the night of her mom's funeral. She knew Castle had carried her to the house and she was _very_ aware that she had touched his face. Damn alcohol, it made her vulnerable and had shown him how not okay she was. She knew he'd be making sure she was okay when they next ran into each other and that irritated her. She was always awful to him, why would he care? She was brought out of her thoughts by Demming passing her a half-full tumbler and one of the white pills. Kate mumbled her thanks and in one swift motion, ingested the pill chasing it with vodka that stung her throat. She decided she liked the feeling though, it was nice to feel something.

2 hours had passed and in that time Demming and Kate had finished the vodka and the majority of the pills. Kate had been in and out of sleeping for the past hour or so, assuming that's what was supposed to happen...she hadn't actually asked what she was taking which was stupid of her, she knew but she trusted Tom, he wouldn't put her in danger. Before her brain could control her body, Kate had found Demming's body and was now sitting in his lap, their lips moving together in a struggle of dominance, ironically summing up their entire relationship but now was not the time, Kate told herself, she just wanted to feel something. She tried to focus of Demming's hands that had bunched up her sweatshirt and were now on her bare hips rubbing tiny circles and then slowly moved to remove her of the sweatshirt all together, leaving her in black lacy bra. The cold hit her then, it reminded her of her dream, lying in the snowy alley way living out her last moments. After that, everything hit her all at once, her body went rigid and her vision started to fade leaving Demming as nothing but a blurry, shadow who hadn't noticed the change in her body language making the panic worse. "St-stop! GET OFF ME" screamed Kate as her back hit the wet grass, Demming or in Kate's current state of mind, the shadow from her nightmare moving towards her, too high to realise what was happening. Screams and pathetic cries escaped Kate's throat, unwillingly, her mind was forcing her to get someone's attention.

* * *

 **RICK'S POV**

Rick had been sitting in his room all day, editing an article for the school paper. He had decided early on to put his headphones on so he could block out any outside noise making it easier for him to concentrate and he really needed too. This was almost a week late due to everything that had been going on with Kate's mom but his life was almost back to normal and he was finally getting back into routine which gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. He had been at it for at least 3 hours now and his phone was backed up with missed texts from Alexis, an indication it was time to call it a day. Looking at his screen he made a mental note to text her back. He'd missed her a lot. Sliding his headphones off his head, he sighed deeply allowing the sounds of the world to flood his ears but what he was met with was a sound similar to a crying child. This confused him due the fact it was a disgustingly cold day and no parents would be letting their kids out. Curiosity took over as he moved to his window to get a better sense of where the noise was coming from. His stomach dropped as he realised it was coming from Kate's house, he hadn't seen her since the night of her mom's funeral and i had assumed that she didn't want to see him so kept his distance but there was something in her screams that sounded hopeless and terrified. He had to go check on her and he knew his mom had a spare key to her house, he knew he was being paranoid but he'd never forgive himself if he didn't check on her and something he could have prevented happened so he made his way downstairs, got the keys and went out of the door in a speed he hadn't seen in himself before.

Rick cursed under his breath and his hands fumbled trying to get the key in the lock. He finally got the door to open and ran inside "KATE? Are you okay?" he shouted receiving no reply. He went upstairs checking the her bedroom, it was empty and he was confused. Making his way back down the kitchen he was replaying the screams in his mind, had he been imagining things? No, no he wasn't as now standing in the kitchen he could see the door to the garden had been left open, explaining why the house was so cold and he could hear faint whimpers coming from outside, his hands formed fists as he stepped into the cold. At first he couldn't see anything, trusting his ears to follow the faint sounds but as he got closer to Kate's large tree, he was able to make out two figures, one a lot larger than they other. "HEY!" he screamed angrily, surprising himself as the larger figure turned around, it was Demming and he looked out of it and a bit further in front was Kate, in nothing but her jeans and a bra. She looked cold and terrified. Castle ran over to her, pushing Demming away and shouting "CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S HAVING A PANIC ATTACK!" but he got no real response. Demming just stared at him with dark eyes and then stood up, walking off and leaving Kate. That sickened Rick, how could he just leave her like this? When he turned back to Kate she was just staring into the distance, her eyes dark and filled with fear. He couldn't comfort her, that would be crossing so many lines so he placed a hand on her shoulder "Kate...you in there?" he carefully asked. It seemed to get her attention as she turned to face him, dazed at first but he noticed the fear in her eyes slowly being replaced with anger as she finally came out of her panic and became aware of her surroundings. She must of as she she was quick to cover up her chest as she noticed who was facing her. This should be fun, Rick thought to himself.

"Kate, are you okay? I heard you screaming and i just thou-" he quickly tried to tell her before being interrupted by an angry Kate. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, CASTLE?! WHERE THE FUCK IS TOM?" she spat back at him, it honestly took him by surprise. Was she really going to do this right now? Something in Rick snapped, his face becoming hard. "Like i said, i heard screaming and was worried. Demming left in a drugged up state when he realised you were having a panic attack. What exactly is the problem here, Kate? Cause all I did was having concern for someone who used to be my friend and i'm sorry if that is so outrages to you." he coldly told her, standing up to walk away. He had noticed Kate was a little taken a back by his sudden change in attitude. "Cast-Castle. wait." she said defeated but Rick was done and he decided that he was going to end this right then and there. "No, Kate. You've treated me like crap for years and i'm even sure why but it sucked. I tried to be there for you this past week but you've thrown it back in my face every damn time and i'm done, Kate. I'm glad you're okay, i'll see you around school." and with that he turned around and started to walk away, leaving Kate sitting in the grass. He felt tears stinging his eyes but he kept them back. He was not going to cry over her again.

Back in his room, Rick was hit with the reality of what he had just done. Suddenly hit with a wave of guilt, was he too hard on her? No, he was fair. It was something he had to do to move on from the ruins of their friendship. With that thought, he picked up his phone and texted Alexis _"He_ y, _want too go get some ice cream later? Lots to tell you x"_ sighing as he pressed send. Alexis will help him clear his head, she kept him sane most times with her constant logic and seriousness which contrasted well with his over active imagination. Looking at the time he saw it was only 3pm and decided to do some more work so he could kill time until his plans with Alexis and too keep his mind off Kate. That chapter was done...for good.

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 **Sending everyone good vibes.**


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